Maybe you’ve heard the expression “Change your thoughts – change your life”. But what does that really mean, and how on Earth do you change your thoughts?
I struggled for many years, stuck in a situation where I wasn’t happy. I felt powerless and lost. But as I started to work on my mindset, things slowly started to shift. So what I have learned is, that when you change your thoughts, you really can change your life.
What are your programs?
How can your thoughts change your life and how can you change your thoughts, anyway?
I know this can be provocative, especially if your life does not look like you want it to. And yes, there are circumstances we cannot influence. Bad things happen in our lives that we have to deal with. But one thing I’ve learned over the past 10 years, is that our reality exists inside our minds.
Think about it, how you perceive the world is processed in your brain. You use your senses to collect information about the world and the people around you. This information is processed in your brain (and in your body). How you interpret the information, depends on your programming, your memories, your values, and your beliefs.
And depending on what programs you have running in your brain, you will process information differently. Just like a computer.
How you perceive the world influences your actions and it is your actions that create your reality.
You may not like it, but if you take a closer look at your life, you will most likely find that your current situation is the result of your actions in the past.
Your career, your relationships, and your health are to a large extent the outcome of choices you’ve made. They may not have turned out exactly the way you wanted to, but think about it – what actions and choices created the situation you are in today?
Neuroscience explains what the yogis knew
Over the past 20 years, neuroscience has discovered and taught us so much about how our brain works. Why we feel like we do, how motivation works, and how we react to stress and fear.
As you may know, I’m a Certified Yoga Teacher and very much influenced by the old yogic teachings. It often strikes me how the old yogis understood how the mind is connected to our bodies, our life experiences, and the reality we create for ourselves. What modern neuroscience teach is just another way of explaining these processes.
Once you realize and accept that your reality is created somewhere inside you, in your brain, your nervous system, and your mind, then it becomes more obvious that you can actually recreate your reality.
You can change your perception of your reality by changing what is going on in your mind, and this will help you change what is going on in your life.
What new reality do you want to create?
So, what new reality would you like to create? More time for yourself, more joy, or a new career?
Remember, not taking action is also a choice.
However, very often we are not aware of the thoughts, the programming that is controlling our actions.
When you want to change something in your life, you need to change your actions. But you are held back by old programming, memories and values. So where do you start?
Because when you change the way you think about your reality, you will feel differently, which will make you act differently.
And what happens once you start to act differently? When what you once thought was uncomfortable become your new normal? What will be possible?
Don’t let the ”reality” inside your mind stop you from creating whatever you wish to create in your life.
Become aware of your thoughts
New thoughts will create a new reality, but in order to be able to think new thoughts, you need to become aware of your thoughts and mindfully change them. You need to calm your mind down!
This is what I realized when I did the yoga teacher training in Bali – when my mind was calm I became more aware and was able to start observing my own thoughts. It did not change overnight, but it changed everything.
In the beginning, this was a tool to deal with a difficult life situation, then it became a tool to change my life.
Because when your mind goes quiet, you will be able to observe your own thoughts. And when you become aware of your thoughts, you will realize that you can change your thought. They are not you.
So what can you do to quiet your mind?
For me, yoga and meditation have been powerful tools to calm my mind and become aware of my own thoughts. And meditation does not have to be hard. Keep it simple and start by practicing mindful breathing:
Direct your attention toward your breath, inhale – exhale, and your mind will calm down. Suddenly a new perspective and new options can appear.
Learning how to calm your mind down so you can change your thoughts and then change your life is one of the processes I take my clients through inside my VIP Mentorship Program. If you are ready to take this step, you can book a FREE Clarity Call to find out how I can help you.